Lantern and support for same



J. M. FITZ GERALD LANTERN AND SUPPORT FOR SAME Filed Mar.

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nw fwn JOHN' M. FITZGERALD, v01E* RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS.

LANTERN AND SUPPORT FOR SAME.

l Application led March 28, 1921. Serial No. 456,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. FITZGERALD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of River Forest, Cook County, Illinois, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements in Lanterns and Supports for Same, of which the following is a specification. My present invention relates to lanterns and supports for same. One of its chiel:I objects is to provide a lantern having simple and easily operable means for holding the lantern body with its optical axis extending in various directions without moving the lantern body to an objectionable extent, thus avoiding interference with adjacent parts. Another object is to provide simple and wellprotected means for conveniently sightin(r the lantern without the addition of specia members for supporting the sighting apparatus. Another object is to provide a simple form of lantern-holding bracket having easily operable means for securing the same in various positions of bodily adjustment, and having means cooperating with means carried by the lantern for holding the lantern thereon adj ustably in various directions. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, Figure 1 is a substantially medial transverse section through the lantern and bracket, as on the broken line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal medial section as on t-he line 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4: is a side view of -the bracket-lockin plate shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a ottom view of the lantern supportl or base.

The lantern body 10 illustrated is in my practice a unitary casting having top, side and front walls as shown and a rear vertically sliding door 11. Usual means are also provided for holding the lens 12 through which the light is projected, this lens establishing an optical axis as A-B within the lantern body.

Upon the top wall 14 of the body l provide the integral carrying handle l5 which is li- 19 may be adjustably moved by the maker ofthe device and secured permanently, either by the screws 22 alone orby added solder, when properly positioned. A hole 25 is also .bored in the handle leg 17, in line with the hole 18, and within the hole 25 I provide the vertical rod 26 having the head or-ball 27, and this ball 27, together with the peephole 21 defines al sighting line C-D. Since for various causes the optica-l axis A-B may not always be in exactly its theoretical position or direction, due for instance to variations in lenses, or in the positioning of any of them in the lantern or in casting 'the lantern body. provided with an adjustment feature, as the plate 19, whereby the line C-D may' be made to extend parallelto the optical axle A-B- By means of the sighting device the person adjusting the lantern is enabled to direct the optical axis as desired by adj ustably moving the lantern body when the device is in use. The present sighting device occupies 'io additional space, has its operative parts well protected, and is always in proper position for use by reason of its being secured rigidly in association with integral parts of the device. 4 j

The lamp supporting bracket 30 is l.- shaped and has a relatively long and narrow vertically-disposed part 3l and a relatively long and narrow horizontally-disposed part 32 and in my practice it is a unitary casting. The leg 31 has al normally vertical slot 33 through which extend the bolts 34 projecting from a relatively fixed part. such as a signal mast. The leg -31 has a pair of lateral the sighting device is desirably of the bolts respectively, is a pair of teeth 38 along one edge of the plate adapted to engage the grooves 39 of the serrated .part mentloned. rlhe plate 37 also has a pair of projections 40 near one edge and a projection 41 near the opposite edge adapted to engage the inner surface of the ribs 36 and 35 respectively, thus maintaining the plate against lateral sliding movements. The bracket is thus rendered adjustable in its l ll) vex member 51.

vertical directions, and by means which hold it positively when the bolts are tightened.

The horizontal leg 32 of the bracket has two slot-like adjusting openings 43 and 44 parallel to each other,these slots being defined by the metal parts 46, 47 and 48. rIlhe metal part 4S is serrated on its upper surface to provide alternate teeth and grooves simiedge of which is formed concave so as to engage the lower surface of the concavoconvex member 51. The bottom 56 of the lantern base is shown as square, and is formed to rest upon the metal parts 46, 47 and 48 of the horizontal bracket member 32. At opposite sides of the plate 56, and extending in directions transverse of the support 32 there are twointegral normally downwardly extending teeth 57 adapted to nt into t-he recesses of the serrations on the member 32. The plate 56 also has a pair of downwardly projecting guides 58, and these extend into the longitudinal recesses 43 or 44 according to the position of adjustment at a given time. The clamping member 60', shown as a spider' having a central hub portion and projecting legs, is downwardly convex and substantially fits upon the inner surface of the concave-con- The bolt 61 is threaded into the clamping member 60 and there riveted for permanent and secure attachment. It is formed square at 62 and fits into the square hole 63 of the plate 56, this construction providing that when the wing nut 65 is turned the bolt 61 will be held against rotative movement. This wing nut 65 binds the clamping member 60 upon the concavoconvex member and the last-mentioned member upon the lantern base 55, and the base 55, upon the horizontal support 32. A single bolt thus holds the lantern body in its desired position of adjustment.

It is here pointed out that in railroad practice the optical axis of the signal lantern must be variously directed according to the requirements at a particular location, and for this purpose the ball-and-socket joint described enables the lamp body to be rocked and turned asv desired, and quite easily1 since it is only necessary to release a single member` namely the wing nut 25, t0 release the lamp Jfor all of the desired movements. It is also pointed out that in many instances any considerable tilting movement of the lamp body while making the necessary adjustments results in interference ment of the lamp body when some of the "'5 necessaryadjustments of it are made, causing the interference mentioned. According to the present construction the axis of movement of the lantern body is located materially within the lantern body itself, and accordingly a materially large tilting adjustment movement of the body can be had without a materially large bodily movement thereof out of its normally upright position. l

The lantern may be moved bodily longitudinally of thexbracket part 32 by loosening the wing nut 65 until'the teeth 57 are capable of being freed from the serrations on the part 48. rlhe lantern may also be moved transversely of the bracket part 32 by removing the wing nut, lifting the bolt 61 out of the recess 43 or 44 as the case may be and inserting the bolt 61 in the other slot. In the drawings the bolt 6l is shown in the slot 44. We will assume that in this case the spectacle in front of the lens 12. according to the particular construction found at that place, would be too cilosei to thie lens ifkthe bolt 61 were in the slot 43. In some other installation the most effective results would be had if the bolt 61 were in the slot 43.

According to these improvements the lantern body is readily adjustable in all of the directions found desirable in service, and by means of a unitary holding mechanism and a single hand-operable clamping device, and when the desired adjustments are made the parts are securely held. The operation of installing and subsequently adjusting the lantern is thus rendered quite easy and with a considerable saving of time, and a notable degree of security and permanency of adjustment is also obtained.

I contemplate as being within the scope of the improvements herein set forth various modifications of what is specifically herein concavo-convex part, said concavo-convex part having a materially large hole for the accommodation of said bolt and toprovide for tilting movements of the lantern body, the bolt also passing through said bracket, means for holding the outer clamp member on the bracket nonnrotatably with respect to the axis of said bolt, means for holding the bolt non-rotatably with respect to the outer clamp member, and means coacting with the bolt to clamp the concavo-convex part rigidly between the clamp members in various positions of adjustmentand to ,v hold the lantern rigidly upon said (bracket.

2. The combination oit a normally horizontal lantern-holding bracket having material length to provide for lantern body adjustment longitudinally thereon, a hollow lantern body having a forwardly-directed light-projecting member and having a part at'the bottom of the body formed concavoconveX, a pair of cooperating clamp members, one of said clamp members being on thev inner side and the other being on the outer side of said concavo-convex part, a substantially vertically disposed bolt holding the clamp members upon said concavoconvex part, said bolt passing through said bracket, said ooncavo convex part having a materially large hole for the accommodation of said bolt and to provide for tilting movements lof the lantern body, means for holding the bolt non-rotatably with respect to the outer clamp member, means including said bolt .for holding the outer clamp memlight-projecting member and having a part i at the` bottom of the body formed concavoconvex, a pair of cooperating clamp members, one of said clamp members being on the inner side and the other being on the outer side of said concavo-convex part, a substantially vertically disposed bolt for holding the clamp members upon said concavo-convex part, the bolt passing through said bracket, said concavo-convex part having a materially large hole for the accommodation of said bolt and to provide for tilting movements of -the lantern body, means for holding the outer clamp member non-rotatably with respect to the axis of said bolt, means for holding the bolt non- ,rotatably with respect to said outer clamp member, and means cooperating with said J bolt for clamping the concavo-convex part rigidly between the clamp members in various positions of tilting and longitudinal adjustment rigidly upon said bracket.

' JU M. FITZGERALDL 

